Understanding
by Reading-Bennie
Summary: It takes time to understand.
1. Chapter 1

Naruto sat and stared at the spot where the enemy had stood. His son, Boruto, had destroyed him. He couldn't believe how brave, how _strong_ , his son was, _is_. Boruto looked over his shoulder at him and smiled. And then he pitched backwards, exhaustion catching up to his small body. Naruto was at his son's side faster than a bolt of lightning. Boruto landed softly in the crook of Naruto's arm and he guided the child to rest on the ground.

"Dad," Boruto panted, laying on the ground. "I'm sorry."

"What?" Naruto grunted as he pulled the remainder of the black rods out of his arm, chest, and thigh. He looked over at his son, seeing him struggle to push up into a sitting position. "Shh, don't try and move too much, just rest."

"I'm sorry. I guess, I don't know," Boruto sighed. "I'm just, sorry. Sorry for cheating, for being a brat, for… For everything."

Naruto gazed at his son. Boruto lay battered and bruised, a sign of battle, something that he'd wished his child would never have to know. And yet, here he was, having fought an enemy for the sake of his village.

"It's alright, Boruto." Naruto reached out a hand to move Boruto's bangs out of his eyes. "I understand. And, I have to apologize to you, and to your mother and to Hima. I haven't been a very good dad or husband, lately."

"Naruto, let's go. Pick him up and we'll get back to the village." Sasuke's voice interrupted them. Naruto scooped up his son and cradled him close, mindful of his arm, raw and red, the skin having been burnt from the heat and the force of the massive Rasengan. He stepped them into the shell of Sasuke's Susano'o and in a blink of an eye, the three were back in Konoha. Sasuke had transported them, thankfully, to the middle of the medic zone, more specifically, right outside of Sakura's tent.

"Daddy!" Naruto paused. He turned to look behind him. There stood his precious little princess, her face shining with the light of a million suns. "Mama! Look! Daddy's here! And so is big brother!"

"Hmm?" Hinata looked up from the villager she was helping. "Hima, what did you… say…"

They locked gazes.

"Na…ru…to-k…NARUTO!" Hinata cried out. She stumbled as she pushed herself up from the ground and ran towards him. "You're here! You're back!"

She reached him and moved to throw her arms around his neck, when she noticed her son. "Oh my god, Boruto! My baby! Sakura! Help!"

Hinata took Boruto from Naruto's arms and gathered him close to her chest, sinking to her knees. His right arm hung limp, looking even redder, rawer, and so much more painful. Naruto flinched as his son let out a low moan, the pain obviously beginning to catch up to him. His heart clenched in his chest, listening to Hinata cry softly, whispering to Boruto that he would be fine, that it was all okay now.

Naruto felt a tug on his sleeve and he looked down to see Himawari. He stooped and picked her up, squeezing her, feeling her tiny body trembling, feeling her tears against his neck.

"I missed you daddy, please don't go away like that again." Himawari's little hands clutched at his collar. "Is big brother going to be okay?"

"It's alright, little sunflower, it's alright. I'm here now and I'm never ever going away again." He pressed a kiss to her temple, rocking her back and forth gently. "Boruto is going to be just fine, see look, Auntie Sakura is here. He's okay."

Naurto angled his body so he and Himawari could watch Sakura heal Boruto's arm. It seemed like an eternity as the Uzumakis watched the soft green light bathe the wound, the angry red slowly disappearing into a light pink.

"There, he'll be fine now. The skin is going to have to regrow on its own, so Hinata, just apply a little of your healing balm to his arm daily and then wrap it up. It shouldn't take more than a month, maybe two. I'll check on it in a couple weeks." Sakura stood up and looked in Naruto's direction. "Do you need anything healed?"

"No, I'm fine. Hinata can take care of what doesn't heal itself. Thank you, Sakura."

"You four… five, you five get some rest now. Head home. Hinata, I'll send Lady Katsuyu if I need you to come back." Sakura gave them a wave and entered her tent. Naruto shifted the now sleeping Himawari to one arm and held out the other to cradle Boruto. Hinata balked slightly but eventually placed their son in his hold.


	2. Chapter 2

The walk was slow and silent. The Uzumakis reached their house and the silence seemed deafening. Hinata shed her boots and helped Naruto maintain his balance while he toed off his own. He could tell that she was mad at him as she avoided his gaze while taking off Himawari's and Boruto's boots.

Hinata led the way to the children's rooms. She gathered Himawari from his arms and held her close a moment, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Hinata held their daughter towards Naruto so he could kiss her temple and whisper a good night. She placed the little girl on the bed and drew the blankets up close around her chin, smoothing the hair from her face as Himawari snuggled into her pillow.

Naruto slipped into Boruto's room and laid him down on his bed. Mindful of his son's arm, he ripped the remainder of the old orange jacket to easily slip it off him, without waking the child. He eased the sleeve of Boruto's t-shirt up to allow Hinata to apply the ointment and wrap. Naruto watched her work in tight-lipped silence.

"Mama," Boruto groaned.

"Shhh, lightning bolt, you're okay, you're home," Hinata cooed, tying the bandages off and gently smoothing her hand down his arm. She leaned over and pressed her lips to his forehead. "You were so brave, I'm so proud of you! Just rest now." Naruto maneuvered his son and covered him with his blankets.

The parents stood a moment and watched their son relax into his bed, before retreating the room and walking down the hall to theirs.

Naruto quietly shut the door behind him and watched his wife move about the room, readying for bed.

"Hinata," he started, but was cut off by Hinata's hand cracking across his cheek. "Hinata…"

"Don't ever do something like that again!" She hissed. Naruto stared at his wife; her skin flushed, eyes wide and dancing across his face. Her body was shaking, from her anger or cold, given that she stood before him in just her underwear, he couldn't tell; it was probably both. He moved to wrap her in his arms but she quickly stepped back. "No! I'm so mad right now! Mad at myself for letting my child do something so dangerous! Mad at you! Oh! You!"

"Hime, I'm sorry."

"Don't! You have no idea how I feel!" She closed the gap between them. "This… I watched you vanish before my eyes! I thought you were dead! For the second time in my life!" Her fist thumped down on his chest and spread out, covering his heart.

"The second?" Her fingers tightened in his white t-shirt.

"During the war. Right after Kurama was taken from you… I watched your heart beat slower and slower and then… it wasn't there anymore! You weren't there anymore! I'd thought the worst… But you came back and I knew I would never be able to go through something like that again… And I just did! And I don't…"

"I understand." Naruto grabbed her hand and opened the bedroom door again, leading Hinata across the hall to the bathroom. He sat her on the edge of the tub and began filling it with water, setting the controls to heat it to the right temperature. Silently and quickly, he stripped himself down to his boxers and the removed Hinata's undergarments, sitting on the high stool in front of him.

He worked methodically, shampooing her hair, soaping her body and rinsing her off. He scooped Hinata up and gently placed her in the tub. Allowing her a few minutes to soak alone, he stripped down, removed his arm bandages, and washed himself before joining her in the water.

For what seemed like an eternity, Naruto sat opposite his wife, silent, staring at her. Eventually Hinata moved, reaching out to touch the new scars on his body.

"How did you get these?"

"Chakra rods… I moved a little too slow…"

Hinata hummed softly, gathering chakra in her palms and bathing the scars in soft green light. "Well, it seems they've healed just fine…How could you be so selfish to not think of how Boruto would feel? How Himawari would feel? How I would feel if you'd died?"

"I-I don't know. I just- This is going to sound terrible but look," Naruto raised his right arm out of the water. The bright white of the prosthetic stood out against his tan skin, the surface having an almost wood-like appearance. "I lost an arm for my best friend, for my brother. It makes sense to me that I would sacrifice my entire being to protect my family. But you're right. I was being selfish and was only thinking about myself… To know that it caused you all so much pain…"

He paused a moment, his breath catching in his throat. "Maybe I wanted to prove to Boruto that I do love him, and that he means everything to me…"

"I understand," Hinata brushed a hand over his whiskered cheek. "And Boruto will too. I'll talk to him more, help him."

"Oh, Hime, no, this whole- It's my fault. I've been a terrible father and it's not your responsibility to fix things. I have to." He wiped a tear from her cheek. "I've failed in every aspect of being a father, a husband… and I have to change that, for Hima, for Boruto, for you. This… This whole ordeal has been a much needed wake up call. Starting now, things will be different."

They sat in the water until it chilled. Seeing Hinata shiver slightly, Naruto stood and stepped out of the tub, turning to help her out. He stopped as she lifted her left leg from the water, seeing the faint pink scar from the earlier battle.

"How?" Naruto asked, gently trailing his fingers up her leg as she rested her foot on the edge of the tub. Hinata sucked in a breath at his touch. "Who?"

"That big one. Took a swipe at Boruto right after you were sucked into the other dimension." Hinata grabbed the hand on her leg and continued to get out of the tub. "It was a gut instinct, I had to grab him, get him to safety."

"Like a lioness, protecting her cubs." He pressed a hand to her lower abdomen, feeling the smooth firmness with just a hint of rounding there that would soon grow larger to accommodate the life within her. Hinata shivered again and Naruto swiftly led her from the bathroom to their bedroom, grabbing the towels that had been warming on the rack.

Naruto dried Hinata off, wrapping her in the fluffy towel and sitting her on the bed. The day was finally taking its toll on them, as the adrenaline wore off. Naruto handed her underwear and her night shirt, or rather, one of his t-shirts, and then dried and dressed himself. His body ached; he really was out of shape, damn fox had been right.

He slid into bed and pulled Hinata closer to him, wrapping his long frame around her petite one. With a content sigh, she buried her face in his chest. Naruto gently eased the covers over their bodies and closed his eyes, exhaustion catching him.


	3. Chapter 3

The soft patter of bare feet was what woke him some time later. He carefully extracted himself from Hinata's arms and with a quiet grunt, god he was so stiff, he rose from bed to investigate.

"Boruto." Naruto spotted his son in the kitchen. "Why're you up?"

"Oh, dad," Boruto moved to place his glass in the sink. "I had to pee… and then I was thirsty. And my arm kinda hurts."

"Come here, buddy," Naruto waved him over. "I'll help you back to bed."

He let Boruto take the lead back to his room, keeping close as the child, not quite steady on his feet, bobbed and weaved down the hall. After helping Boruto situate himself in bed, he sat on the edge, facing his son. They sat in silence, barely moving, save for Naruto reaching out to brush the hair out of Boruto's eyes.

"Dad," Boruto whispered after a while.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Is my arm going to look like that?" Naruto followed his son's gaze to see it fixed on his prosthetic arm. Boruto and Himawari were no strangers to the fact that their father's right arm was a fake, and that he'd lost his real one during the Fourth Shinobi World War.

"Hehehe, no. You just got burned a little, is all; you're not going to be losing that arm any time soon." Naruto fluffed Boruto's bangs.

"Dad, how did you lose your arm?" Naruto knew that someday this question would be asked. Taking a deep breath, he looked around Boruto's room for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

"Well, you know, from what mom and I have told you, that I lost it in the war, during the last battle." He watched Boruto nod slowly. "That is true, I did lose it in battle during the war, but I wasn't fighting an enemy… never really specified who I was fighting… I wasn't fighting an enemy, I was fighting Sasuke."

"Is that how Sasuke-sensei lost his arm too?" Boruto's eyes went wide as he pushed himself to sitting with Naruto's help.

"Yeah, it is. Despite being best friends, brothers, we haven't been able to fully reconcile our differences, and we fought a lot as kids. That particular fight was our last one in a while, and our most violent… We could have killed each other, really." Naruto looked away, hearing Boruto gasp. "Luckily, the force of our attacks just ripped our arms off. I'm not proud of how violent that fight was, but I succeeded in kicking Sasuke's ass hard enough to knock some sense back into him."

"Hey dad, um, when you were all orange and looked like a fox… what was… was that the Nine Tails?"

"Yes, it was. It's called cloaking." Naruto realized that despite his children knowing that he was Kurama's current jinchūriki, they had never seen him don Kurama's cloak. Until now, that is. "Essentially what it is… Oh man… this is actually really tough to explain… Hmmm…

Kurama, that's the Nine Tails' name, and I have a special bond, and in exchange for me being his vessel, I can use some of his chakra. And combined with sage mode, well, yeah. That's what that looks like."

"That's so cool." Boruto exhaled. "Wow…You really- You really are the strongest ninja in the world… My dad…"

Father and son drifted into silence for a moment; both were thinking of what they could say next. Boruto eventually broke the quiet.

"Dad," Naruto turned to meet his son's gaze. Boruto quickly looked down at his hands, the fingers of his left twisting in the blankets while his right lay still in his lap. "Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't really mean to cheat… And I don't really mean to be a brat and act out… And I'm sorry for painting the Hokage Monument… I guess, well I guess I just wanted you to notice me. And to talk to me face to face, really talk to me, not use a clone… and um… I uh,"

There was a catch in Boruto's throat and a few tears were beginning to make their way down his cheeks. "Dad, I didn't mean those things I said in your office. I really didn't… I was just so mad and I'm sorry and I don't ever want you to leave. I got so scared when you were taken by the enemies and I thought you were dead and it was my fault because I'd just told you that and…" The tears were falling heavier. "Dad, I love you and I love that you're my dad because you're so strong and brave and you're a great Hokage and"

Naruto quickly reached out and wrapped his son in a warm embrace, cradling the child to his chest. His own tears made his vision blurry as he wiped away Boruto's, gently rocking the boy as his words dissolved into soft sobs.

"I understand Boruto. I really do." Naruto pressed his face to the top of his son's head. "And I am so, so sorry that I've been such a terrible father. I am so ashamed of myself. There is no excuse for my actions and I can only pray that you'll forgive me for hurting you…"

"When I was young, I never dreamt that I would have a family… and now… You, Hima, your mother, you're what's most precious to me." Naruto gently squeezed his son closer to his body. "I would do anything to keep you safe, if it means giving up being Hokage or giving up my life… I love you so much, don't ever forget or doubt that."

The tears spilled from Naruto's eyes, rolling down his cheeks and into his son's soft blonde hair. Father and son sat in silence, holding each other tightly.

"Dad," Boruto spoke after a while. "Sasuke-sensei was telling me that I didn't really understand who you are exactly… And that if I wanted to, I needed to understand who you were before… when you were a kid… D'you- d'you think you could tell me about when you were younger? I mean, really tell me; don't just tell me the parts I already know, like when you were a genin and stuff, tell me everything."

"Well, that's a long story, but I'll tell it." Naruto crawled over Boruto onto the bed, wedging himself between his son and the wall. He pulled Boruto closer to him, guiding his head to lay on his chest. Situated, Naruto took a deep breath and began.

"So, you know that my dad was the fourth Hokage and that he died protecting the village from the Nine Tails' attack. And you know that I am the current jinchūriki." He felt Boruto nod. "Well that's where this story begins. It was my birthday. A masked man came to kidnap my mom, who was the jinchūriki before me. I had just been born and right as dad was going to reinforce mom's seal, the man tried to kidnap me.

Dad rescued me in time, but that meant the masked man was able to kidnap mom and extract Kurama from her. Dad had this really cool jutsu that he adapted from the Second Hokage, Flying Thunder God: a sort of teleportation jutsu. You and I can work on it sometime, I think you'd like it a lot. Anyway, dad teleported me and then mom to a safe house and went off to fight.

Dad managed to break the masked man's hold on the Nine Tails and then took it to a clearing where it could be sealed again. Mom and I were brought to the clearing and well, uh…" Naruto paused for a moment. The next part was difficult to tell… And after Hinata, Boruto was the only other person to hear in exact detail Naruto's origin story. To explain to his son, a child, the choices his parents had made… how they'd affected him… It was different than telling your wife, a fellow adult.

"Mom had plans to use the remainder of her chakra to seal Kurama within her again, and then die with it, preventing the fox from coming back for a while… You see, Boruto, when a bijū is extracted from a jinchūriki, that person dies, instantly. Mom was able to hold on for a while because of her Uzumaki genes: a long life span and large chakra reserves.

What happened next, well… you know, to this day I still don't understand why my parents did what they did, it still hurts me, but… they did what they thought was best, for me, for the village. So dad decided that rather than live a life apart from mom, he would seal half of Kurama's chakra away within himself, using the Reaper Death Seal, which kills the user on completion.

Uh, well, dad sealed the remainder of Kurama's chakra within me along with a portion mom's and his own chakras so that when the time came, I'd be able to speak with them and learn, that part comes later. Anyway, mom and dad died and I… I was only a few hours old and I had become an orphan, a hero and oddly enough, the most hated person in all of Konoha."

"They hated you? But why? What happened wasn't your fault." Boruto asked sleepily, his hand gripping Naruto's t-shirt.

"The villagers really hated Kurama, for all the destruction and death he caused, but in their eyes, I was Kurama… So whatever he'd done outside of me was also my fault. Life was rough. I bounced around orphanages and foster homes until people thought I was old enough to live on my own. Lord Third helped me find an apartment and I was given a small allowance every month for groceries and the like. It was…lonely. None of the kids at school would let me play with them, the adults of the village would just say the meanest things behind my back, loud enough though, so I could hear it.

There were some people that were kind to me, Lord Third, old man Teuchi and Ayame, Grandpa Iruka, your mom… But it took a while for people to really see that the faults of Kurama were not my faults. Boruto, when I say that I understand your outbursts and misbehavior is because you want attention, I really mean it. Because I did the same things. I wanted attention from the villagers but I wanted them to look at me without contempt.

I told people that I'd never give up on my dream of being Hokage, that I'd be a great ninja someday and they'd all have to respect me and be nice to me… I tried my best. And it was hard work but I did it. Sometimes I wanted to stray from my path but my friends, Sakura, Shikamaru, Kiba, Choji, Lee, your mom, especially your mom, kept me on the right. Gave me their support.

I lived a difficult childhood, which is why I work so hard to make sure that you and Hima never have want of something. I want your childhoods to be everything mine wasn't." Naruto looked down to see Boruto nestled firmly against his chest, his son's breaths signaling sleep. He gently smoothed a hand down Boruto's back. He whispered, "I am so truly sorry that I've hurt you. Just know that I love you so very much. You are my world."

"Love you too, dad." Naruto smiled at the sleepy response. Closing his eyes, he let sleep overtake him once more.


	4. Chapter 4

Hinata woke with a start. The sun peeking through the blinds warmed her face. Throwing an arm over her eyes, she turned away from the light, reaching out with her other arm to grab her husband and bring him closer to her.

When her fingers met the cold sheets on Naruto's side, her heart began to pound. Hinata practically threw herself out of the bed. She noticed their clothes and towels from the night before sitting just next to the laundry hamper as opposed to in it. She ran down the stairs, seeing four pairs of dusty boots heaped in the entryway. She ran back upstairs to the bedrooms.

She checked her daughter's room first, breathing a small sigh as she saw Himawari cocooned in her blankets. Hinata crossed the hall to Boruto's room and slowly opened the door with baited breath. She let the breath go as she took in the sight before her.

Naruto's long body was sprawled across Boruto's bed, barely fitting on the small mattress. He was snoring lightly, a small line of drool making its way down his cheek. His arm was wrapped firmly around their son, who was draped across his father's chest, snoring as well, drool pooling on Naruto's shirt.

Hinata strode over to her boys and placed a gentle kiss to both foreheads. Retreating from her son's room, she made her way back to her bedroom. Opting for comfort, she dressed for the day in a soft sweater, leggings, and a skirt over the top. One last peek at her children, and Naruto, she went down to the kitchen to begin breakfast.

Naruto stirred. There was a heavy weight on his chest and a persistent tapping on his arm. He opened his eyes to see blonde blocking his vision. Stretching his head up and around his son, he saw his daughter poking at his arm. "Good morning, sunflower princess, what is it?" his voice was hoarse, from shouting and talking all yesterday.

"Good morning, daddy! Mama's making breakfast. Can you smell it?" Her bright blue eyes sparkled. Sure enough, wafting through the air was the thick, heavy scent of baking bread and the spicy undertones of heated cinnamon. "Cinnamon rolls, daddy! Mama only makes those for special 'ccasions!"

Naruto watched Himawari skip out of the room and down the hall. He gently rolled Boruto off of his chest and slid down the bed, to stand and stretch. His joints popped and he was still sore beyond belief. Kneeling on the floor, Naruto began to coax Boruto awake. The boy was just like him when he was younger, never a morning person.

"Hey buddy, let's wake up now." Naruto fluffed his son's hair. Boruto grumbled. "C'mon, we don't want you to sleep the whole day away." Boruto took a swipe at his hand.

"Well fine then, I guess Hima, mom, and I will eat all the cinnamon rolls." Naruto moved to push himself off the floor when a small hand shot out to grab his wrist.

"I'll get up. I'll get up. Please, don't eat them all." Boruto muttered, eyes still closed, clinging to sleep.

"Alright, lighting bolt, we won't eat them all." Naruto stood and scooped Boruto out of bed. _He's gotten so big…_ Naruto thought as he carried his son downstairs. _It's good thing I'm practically a giant or I wouldn't be able to hold him like this. I should've done this more…_ Naruto gave Boruto a squeeze.

"There are my girls," Naruto said as he entered the family room. Himawari was curled into her mother's side as Hinata sat on the sofa, the gentle rasp of her knitting needles filling the air. "Good morning, Hime."

Naruto bent to press a kiss to Hinata's forehead.

"Good morning to you too, dear." Hinata raised her head in time to catch his kiss on the tip of her nose. "It should be just a few more minutes in the oven and then a little cooling time; enough time for our little bolt to wake up."

"I was just in the office talking to Shikamaru," Naruto sat down, still holding his son, in the armchair opposite Hinata. "He's able to hold down the fort today and Kakashi-sensei is there as well, helping out. They'll text if they really need me and I'll send a clone. But I've got to head in tomorrow morning bright and early."

"Daddy, you're staying home all day?" Himawari mumbled. Hinata set down her knitting and smoothed a hand over the girl's hair.

"You betcha, little sunflower." Naruto grinned, watching his little girl's face light up, her smile practically blinding. She tumbled off the sofa, running over to jump into his lap. Himawari jostled Boruto in the process. "Woah there, sweetie, you have to be extra careful these next few days, Boruto's still hurt. We can do quiet indoor activities or go out to check on the garden. But no roughhousing."

"Sorry, Bolt." Himawari reached over to pat Boruto's back. "I'll be extra careful."

"Hima," Naruto loosed one arm from his hold on Boruto to brush a hand over her whiskered cheek. "I know I've apologized already, but I am sorry that I hurt you on your birthday. I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"It's okay, daddy, I understand." She curled into Naruto, wrapping his arm around her. "You were busy at work and forgot. But daddy, please don't forget again… Promise you won't forget and that you'll be there unless something bad like yesterday happens."

"I promise, sunflower princess." Her soft, innocent words pierced his heart. "I never go back on my word."

Naruto swallowed heavily. It had been so long, so incredibly long, since he'd sat with either of his children like this. And now, to be sitting with both… it was almost too much. He pressed a kiss to Himawari's soft blue hair before tilting his head back, trying his best to keep the tears from falling. Hinata's gentle face filled his vision as she stood over the three of them.

"Don't cry, Naruto-kun." Hinata's lips brushed his forehead as she whispered.

"I've just missed this. It hurts, Hime." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I don't want to miss anymore. It hurts so much."

"I know, I know." Hinata smoothed her thumbs over his whiskers, up his temples, relaxing the tight muscles around his eyes. "But you're here and starting now, you won't be missing anything anymore." She pressed her lips to his.

"You know, you're going to have to get a bigger lap, so this little one will be able to fit." Naruto watched as she smoothed a hand over her abdomen. The gesture accentuated the slight rounding there, unnoticeable at a first glance until further inspection. She wandered over to the kitchen. "Wake those two up, I'll have the rolls ready in a minute."

"You two hear that? Mom says the cinnamon rolls are done." Boruto and Himawari grumbled. Naruto smiled. "Oh, come on now, if you don't wake up them mom and I will eat them all. And you all know how much mom loves to eat cinnamon rolls."

Not even that got a rise out of his children. Naruto carefully stood and set them down on the sofa, pulling one of the afghans on the back over them, watching as they curled into the warmth. He strode into the kitchen, watching Hinata spread the thick, creamy icing over the hot rolls. "Well then, I guess that means you'll have to eat something else for breakfast… Mom's already eaten half the pan!"

"My poor babies, so tired…" Hinata started. "Can't even get up to enj- Naruto!" She squawked as Naruto bent his head close and licked a bit of frosting off her cheek.

"Mmm, sweet as ever, Hime." He chuckled, watching a soft blush work its way up her neck. She let out a flustered sigh as he dipped his head and kissed a line up her neck, her jaw, to the spot just below her ear, the spot that made her knees weak.

Giving in, Hinata wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled at his hair, raising his lips to hers. He happily obliged, his hands settling on her waist, thumbs dipping under her shirt to trace along the blossoming baby bump.

"I just want to eat breakfast."

Naruto and Hinata jumped apart, their faces turning a stunning shade of red. They looked over to see their children standing at the counter.

"Daddy and mama sure have a good relationship don't they, brother?"

"Oh! Look at that, you two are awake! And just in time, I stopped mom from eating all the cinnamon rolls!" Naruto awkwardly laughed, scratching at the back of his neck.

"Yeah, by eating her face."

"Boruto!" Hinata and Naruto exclaimed. Upon seeing the boy's face, however, the couple quickly dissolved into laughter. Eyes half closed and mouth turned upside down, Boruto looked more like a grumpy old man than a hungry, eleven year old.

Naruto shuffled the kids over to the table and Hinata followed with the pan and plates, the warm, gooey buns filling the house with their delicious aroma.

"Thank you for the food!" Four voices rang out. The rolls were served and everyone dug in.

"Boruto, slow down, you'll choke!" "Hima, how do you have icing in your hair already?" Naruto and Hinata laughed.

"Hey dad, do you think you could tell me more of your story today?" Boruto said around a mouthful of food.

"Can I listen too, daddy?" Naruto smiled as he watched his little princess bounce in her seat.

"Of course! After we help mom clean up, we can all listen. Mom might even like to add some bits to the story. She's knows it well." Naruto reached to grab Hinata's hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Mama, what are you knitting?" The ever curious girl changed the subject.

"I'm making a baby blanket." Hinata smiled softly. She looked over at Naruto and he nodded.

"Oh! Who's having the baby? Is it Uncle Kiba? 'Cause one time when I went to play with the puppies, I heard him and Tamaki talking about babies!" Himawari prattled. "I think they'd be cute! Was I really cute?"

"Yes, you were very cute! And you still are," Hinata took a deep breath and stood up; Naruto followed suit. "Uncle Kiba and Tamaki aren't having the baby… I am!"

"You mean, I'm gonna be a big sister?!" Himawari's eyes grew impossibly wide. "Really?! When?!"

"Yes, in a few months!" Naruto wrapped his arm around his wife. Boruto and Himawari shot up from their chairs, giggling, winding themselves around Hinata's waist. Naruto wrapped his other arm around Hinata, trapping his wife and two, no three, his three children in a warm embrace.

"Mama?"

"Yes, little sunflower princess?"

"Where do babies come from?"

"…it's a bit complicated, sweetie. You'll understand better when you're older."

"Much older." Naruto mumbled, squeezing his family closer.


End file.
